Foldable chair attachment for infants



April 11, 1961 R. E. GATES FOLDABLE CHAIR ATTACHMENT FOR INFANTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed May 26, 1959 7 u 2 I 1 III! WETNHLW .U

INVENTOR. 12 OT H E G A-rzs y jw vgmkhm ATTQENEYE) April 11, 1961 R. E. GATES 2,979,121

FOLDABLE CHAIR ATTACHMENT FOR INFANTS Filed May 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 as 'ZF'IGA- INVENTOR. 'Qu'rH E. GATE$ ATTOENEY-S FOLDABLE CHAER ATTAC i=1 NT FOR INFANTS Ruth E. Gates, Richland, Wash, assignor to Tie-Chair, Iuc., Riehland, Wash.

Filed May 26, 1959, Ser. No. 815,882

3 Claims. (Cl. 155-189) This invention relates to portable infant furniture attachments, and more particularly to a portable chair attachment for use in enabling a chair to be employed to support an infant for feeding, or for other purposes.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved foldable chair attachment for infants, said attachment being simple in construction, being easy to set up for use, and being foldable to a relatively compact size, where it may be easily stored or transported.

A further object of the invention isto provide an improved chair attachment for enabling a conventional chair to be employed for supporting an infant for feeding or for allowing the infant to play with objects supported immediately in front of the infant, the attachment being inexpensive to fabricate, being durable in construction, and being arranged so that it provides a safe and comfortable support for an infant on a chair.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view showing the manner in which a device of the present invention is employed as an attachment for a conventional chair to support an infant therein.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the device shown in Figures l to 4 in its fiat unfolded condition.

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end portion of the attachment showing the manner in which it is folded to provide vertical wall elements for the device.

Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the attachment is folded to provide a flat compact package.

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the folded device as it is finally folded preparatory to securing same for transportation or storage.

Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the completely folded and secured package comprising the chair attachment illustrated in Figures 1 to 6.

Referring to the drawings, the improved chair attachment is designated generally at 11 and comprises a generally rectangular box-like member having a horizontal, generally rectangular top wall 12 and having vertical front, rear and side walls. The box-like mem ber is formed from a generally rectangular body of relatively rigid sheet material, shown in its flat unfolded condition in Figure 5 and designated at 13. The rectangular body 13 is formed with fold creases 14, 14 and transverse fold creases 15, 15, the fold creases being spaced equal distances from and being located parallel aent to the respective longitudinal and transverse edges of the body 13, whereby to define the. rectangular center panel 12.

The body 13 is formed with longitudinal slits 17 extending longitudinally from the respective corners of the center panel 12 and terminating at the transverse end edges of the body 13, whereby to define a foldable front flap 18 and a foldable rear flap 19. Also defined are the foldable side flaps 20 and 21 and the foldable, substantially square corner flaps 22, located at the respective corners of the body 13.

The center panel 12 is formed with a U-shaped slit 23 which extends inwardly from the fold crease 15 between the rear flap 19 and the center panel 12, the U-shaped slit 23 defining an upwardly foldable back rest flap 24 and an opening which is exposed when the flap 24 is folded away from the plane of the center panel 12, as will be presently described, the opening being large enough to receive an infant.

The center panel 12 is formed with a pair of transversely aligned apertures provided with suitable grommets, shown at 25, 25, said apertures being located at the intermediate portions of the respective side margins of panel 12 and being located inwardly adjacent the respective longitudinal fold lines 14. Extending through the grommets provided on the edges of the apertures 25, 25 is flexible cable member 26 which is of substantial length and which is exposed between the apertures 25, 25 on the top surface of the panel 12, as is clearly shown in Figure 5. The flexible cable member 26 is of sufficient length so that it may be engaged around the bottom of a seat and tied, whereby to secure the attachment to the seat bottom, as will be presently described.

The respective square corner portions 22 are each formed with pairs of apertures 27, 27, said apertures being provided with suitable grommets. The apertures 27 are registrablewith respective pairs of apertures 28, 28 provided on the front and rear flaps 18 and 19 when the body 13 is folded to define a box-like structure, namely, when the flaps 20, 21 are folded to depending positions perpendicularly to the center panel 12 and when the flaps 18 and 19 are likewise folded to such depending positions, the corner flaps 22 being then folded perpendicular to the side flaps 21, 20 so as to be disposed in underlying relationship with respect to the front and rear flaps 18 and 19. In these positions, the apertures 28 register with the apertures 27. A first flexible cable member 29 is laced through the registering apertures 27 and 28 associated with the rear flap 19, to secure the corner flaps 22 thereto in the manner illustrated in Figure 7. Thus, the corner flaps are folded'inwardly to positions perpendicular to the side flaps 21 and 20, the side flaps 21 and 20 being folded to positions perpendicular to the center panel 12. The rear flap 19 is then folded to engage the corner flaps 22, bringing the apertures 28 of the flap 19 into registry with the apertures 27 of the corner fiaps 22. The flexible cable member 29 may then be laced through the registering apertures and may be tied to define a secure knot 30, as shown in Figure 4.

Similarly, the corner flaps 22 are secured in underlying relationship to the folded front flap 18 and an additional flexible cable member 31 is laced through the registering apertures 27 and 28 associated with the front flap 18, whereby to secure the front flap in a position perpendicular to the center panel 12 and to the side flaps 2t] and 21. The flexible cable member 31 is of substantial length and is of sufiicient length to be engaged around the back of a chair 32, as illusrtated in Figure 4, and to be tied into a knot, as shown at 33, with the flexible -mentioned, the flexible cable member 26 is employed to fasten the device 11 to the chair seat,being knotted at 35, as shown in Figure 1, to secure the device 11 against upward displacement.

Inusing the device, it is fastened to the chair 32 in I;

the manner above described, the flap 24 being elevated to a position resting against-the back of the chair, as is clearly shown in Figure 3, whereby to define an aperture 36 of sufficient size to receive an infant. The infant is placed in the device through the aperture so that the When the device is to be folded for transportation or storage, it is first unfastened and the front and rear flaps 19 and 18 are folded inwardly over the center panel, along with the corner flaps 22, in the manner illustrated in Figure 8. The flexible cable members 29 and 31 are received beneath the inwardly folded flaps 19 and 18, as shown in Figure 8. The side flaps 20 and 21, and the corner flaps are then folded upwardly and inwardly over the remainder of the device, as shown in Figure 9, whereby to define the flat rectangular package of Figure 10, which is secured by tying together the ends of the flexible cable member 26 to define a knot 39. As will be readily apparent, when the device is to .be

set up for use, the knot 39 may be untied and the various flaps may be unfolded and secured in the manner above described to set up the device and fasten same to the seat and back of a chair in the manner illustrated in Figures 1 to 4. r r

The device may be made of any suitable material, the body 13 being made for example of a sturdy cardboard material which is preferably coated with a waterproof surface, for example, by a coating of plastic material which is well known per se and which in itself forms no part of the present invention.

The respective flexible cable elements 26, 31 and 29 may be of any suitable cord-like material provided at their ends with metal tips 40 to facilitate threading the ends of the cable elements through the apertures of the device. r

While a specific embodiment of an improved chair at tachment for infants has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable chair attachment for infants comprising a generally rectangular body of relatively rigid sheet material formed with fold creases spaced equally from and located parallel to its respective edges to define a rectangular center panel, said body being slit longitudinally from the corners of said center panel to the front and rear edges of the body to define foldable front and rear flaps'and foldable side flaps, said center panel being formed with'a U-shaped slit extending inwardly from the fold crease between the rear flap and said center panel to define a foldable back rest flap and an opening exposed when said back rest flap is folded away from the plane of said center panel, said center panel being formed with a pair of transversely aligned apertures adapted to receive a first flexible cable member, the corner portions of said body being at times foldable into superimposed relationship with respect to said front and rear flaps, and said cornerportions and front and rear flaps being formed with registrable apertures adapted at said times to receive additional flexible cable members.

2. A foldable chair attachment for infants comprising a generally rectangular body of relatively rigid sheet material formed with fold creases spaced equally from and located parallel to its respective edges to define a rectangular center panel, said body being slit longitudinally from the corners of said center panel to the front and rear edges of the body to define foldable front and 30 rear flaps and foldable side flaps, said center panel being "crease between the rear flap and said center panel to formed with a slit extending inwardly from the fold define a foldable back rest flap and an opening exposed when said back rest flap is folded away from the plane 'of said center panel, and a flexible cable member carried by each of the front and rear flaps.

3. A foldable chair attachment for infants comprising a generally rectangular body of relatively rigid sheet material formed with fold creases spaced equally from and located parallel to its respective edges to define a rectangular center panel, said body being slit longitudinally from the corners of said center panel to the front and rear edges of the body to define foldable front and rear .flaps and foldable side flaps, said center panel being formed with a slit extending inwardly from the fold crease between the rear flap and said center panel to define a foldable back rest flap and an opening exposed when said back rest flap is folded away from the plane of said center panel, a flexible cable member carried by each of the front andrear flaps, and another flexible cable member carried by said center panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,322,290 Cibulka NOV. 18, 1919 1,725,527 Kondolf Aug. 20, 1929 2,089,090 Di Giacomo et a1 Aug. 3, 1937 2,580,935 Lovelace Ian. 1, 1952 

